Neighbor's home remodeling... I lost it today!

dseag2

dseag2

Dallas, TX
Location
Dallas, TX
I live in a neighborhood with zero lot lines, so the houses are very close. My next-door neighbor is a wonderful, accomplished older woman that I've always gotten along with. In fact, last fall I used my leaf blower to clear out her driveway when she was not getting anywhere with a broom.

With that said, she had an absolutely beautiful house that she decided she would completely remodel inside and out. She's going from Mediterranean to Modern Farmhouse. :rolleyes: I'm talking even painting the exterior brick white and the trim black. She moved out and into an apartment over 8 months ago and told me she would be doing this. Since then I've heard constant noise, smelled paint fumes when I've walked outside and had trucks and vans parked in front of my house and hers to the point where I can't even see if there is traffic coming when I back out of my driveway. Our driveways are literally a few feet apart.

There have been several times when I've come home from doing errands only to find a truck parked in front of my driveway so I can't get in. Last Friday, a truck blocked my trash cans and if I hadn't come home and moved them my trash would not have been picked up. When the painters finished painting her house, they dumped the remains of the white paint in front of my driveway and in my gutter... not hers. I sent her a picture and she quickly had them clean it up. On a previous occasion, I had a truck blocking my driveway and I went into her house to ask that it be moved. She was there, and asked if I was okay. I told her I was fine.

Today was the last straw. I came home with groceries and a truck was blocking my driveway. There were no other trucks along the street at all, so he simply chose to park in front of my driveway. I went back into her house. She was again there. I yelled that whoever parked their truck in front of my house needed to move it, left, and slammed her door. The workman gave me "stink eye" as if it was my fault for wanting to pull into my garage.

I later sent my neighbor an email apologizing and let her know my anger wasn't directed at her but my frustration at going through 8 months of this. She sent a nice response saying she would make it up to me. I don't want this to be the end of our friendship, and I'm glad she is in the final stages of wrapping this up. It has taken much longer than she expected.

I've been very calm during my 2 years of retirement, but I reached the end of my rope today. Just venting!
 

I do understand. I just went through nearly a month of my driveway and often my entire dead end road being blocked by a non english speaking crew laying fiber optic cable. Couldn't even ask them to move, "no comprende". And to top it off they cut my landline in 2 places and dug out my Asian lillies that my husband planted before he died. Its ugly the way people are.
 
oldaunt said:
I do understand. I just went through nearly a month of my driveway and often my entire dead end road being blocked
Click to expand...
Y'know.....that's my perspective of town.

Now, up at our cabin in the mountains.....
if a renegade or two happen thru on the logging road......and hang near yer place......just fire a couple rounds from the 12 gauge
Have yet to have anyone hang around after that

Town, I'm a bit handicapped

Had a couple run ins with parking
But, after some dialogue, they became..... shall we say....understanding

ol me.jpg
 

dseag2 said:
I live in a neighborhood with zero lot lines, so the houses are very close. My next-door neighbor is a wonderful, accomplished older woman that I've always gotten along with. In fact, last fall I used my leaf blower to clear out her driveway when she was not getting anywhere with a broom.

With that said, she had an absolutely beautiful house that she decided she would completely remodel inside and out. She's going from Mediterranean to Modern Farmhouse. :rolleyes: I'm talking even painting the exterior brick white and the trim black. She moved out and into an apartment over 8 months ago and told me she would be doing this. Since then I've heard constant noise, smelled paint fumes when I've walked outside and had trucks and vans parked in front of my house and hers to the point where I can't even see if there is traffic coming when I back out of my driveway. Our driveways are literally a few feet apart.

There have been several times when I've come home from doing errands only to find a truck parked in front of my driveway so I can't get in. Last Friday, a truck blocked my trash cans and if I hadn't come home and moved them my trash would not have been picked up. When the painters finished painting her house, they dumped the remains of the white paint in front of my driveway and in my gutter... not hers. I sent her a picture and she quickly had them clean it up. On a previous occasion, I had a truck blocking my driveway and I went into her house to ask that it be moved. She was there, and asked if I was okay. I told her I was fine.

Today was the last straw. I came home with groceries and a truck was blocking my driveway. There were no other trucks along the street at all, so he simply chose to park in front of my driveway. I went back into her house. She was again there. I yelled that whoever parked their truck in front of my house needed to move it, left, and slammed her door. The workman gave me "stink eye" as if it was my fault for wanting to pull into my garage.

I later sent my neighbor an email apologizing and let her know my anger wasn't directed at her but my frustration at going through 8 months of this. She sent a nice response saying she would make it up to me. I don't want this to be the end of our friendship, and I'm glad she is in the final stages of wrapping this up. It has taken much longer than she expected.

I've been very calm during my 2 years of retirement, but I reached the end of my rope today. Just venting!
Click to expand...
Wow, this would have stepped on my last nerve, too. I'm glad that you and your neighbor have preserved your friendship through all of this but I'm so sorry that others can be so ignorant.
 
dseag2 said:
I live in a neighborhood with zero lot lines, so the houses are very close. My next-door neighbor is a wonderful, accomplished older woman that I've always gotten along with. In fact, last fall I used my leaf blower to clear out her driveway when she was not getting anywhere with a broom.

With that said, she had an absolutely beautiful house that she decided she would completely remodel inside and out. She's going from Mediterranean to Modern Farmhouse. :rolleyes: I'm talking even painting the exterior brick white and the trim black. She moved out and into an apartment over 8 months ago and told me she would be doing this. Since then I've heard constant noise, smelled paint fumes when I've walked outside and had trucks and vans parked in front of my house and hers to the point where I can't even see if there is traffic coming when I back out of my driveway. Our driveways are literally a few feet apart.

There have been several times when I've come home from doing errands only to find a truck parked in front of my driveway so I can't get in. Last Friday, a truck blocked my trash cans and if I hadn't come home and moved them my trash would not have been picked up. When the painters finished painting her house, they dumped the remains of the white paint in front of my driveway and in my gutter... not hers. I sent her a picture and she quickly had them clean it up. On a previous occasion, I had a truck blocking my driveway and I went into her house to ask that it be moved. She was there, and asked if I was okay. I told her I was fine.

Today was the last straw. I came home with groceries and a truck was blocking my driveway. There were no other trucks along the street at all, so he simply chose to park in front of my driveway. I went back into her house. She was again there. I yelled that whoever parked their truck in front of my house needed to move it, left, and slammed her door. The workman gave me "stink eye" as if it was my fault for wanting to pull into my garage.

I later sent my neighbor an email apologizing and let her know my anger wasn't directed at her but my frustration at going through 8 months of this. She sent a nice response saying she would make it up to me. I don't want this to be the end of our friendship, and I'm glad she is in the final stages of wrapping this up. It has taken much longer than she expected.

I've been very calm during my 2 years of retirement, but I reached the end of my rope today. Just venting!
Click to expand...
A while back, people were regularly taking their dogs out to poo in front of my dining window. Finally, I ordered a yard sign from Vista Print that says No Poo Zone. Maybe you could order a sign not to block your drive. That's all I can think to suggest. Everyone needs to vent from time to time. I'm curious what your neighbor will think to do to make up for all the hassles.
 
I can see why my neighbors like me so much.
When I recently had a new roof done, I sent them a note, apologizing for the noise, said it was a 2-week job & to let me know if any debris ended up on their property.
A couple of years ago, a tree in my back yard fell on their balcony. I spoke to the owner & told him my tree guys would be here tomorrow & gave him a printout of all their info - contractor's license, insurance, etc. I also told him to let me know if the tree damaged anything. He said, "You're very kind."
A couple of years ago, my neighbor was having a really big party with a truckload of catered food. Their driveway was full of guests' cars & the truck had nowhere to park. I told the driver to park in my driveway. Then, when I saw how many containers of food he had to deliver, I grabbed some & helped him walk down the neighbor's very long driveway. LOL - when we got to the house, the neighbor recognized me & thought I worked for the caterer.
One evening, I saw water flowing from my neighbor's yard into mine; probably from a leak in their pipes. I let them know & also showed them how to detect a leak - something I learned when I re-piped my house.
I got a flashlight, pulled off the water meter cover in their driveway & told them, "If there is no water being used in your house & everything is off, look at the dial on the meter; it's turning. That means you have a leak & it will get very expensive until you fix it."
I gave them my plumber's number & told them they have a leak detection specialist who will find the leak quickly, even if it's underground. They repaired it the next day.
 
Gary O' said:
Y'know.....that's my perspective of town.

Now, up at our cabin in the mountains.....
if a renegade or two happen thru on the logging road......and hang near yer place......just fire a couple rounds from the 12 gauge
Have yet to have anyone hang around after that

Town, I'm a bit handicapped

Had a couple run ins with parking
But, after some dialogue, they became..... shall we say....understanding

View attachment 226991
Click to expand...
"Dialogue?" Not necessary. Just hang that photo where they'll see it. :ROFLMAO:
 
oldaunt said:
I do understand. I just went through nearly a month of my driveway and often my entire dead end road being blocked by a non english speaking crew laying fiber optic cable. Couldn't even ask them to move, "no comprende". And to top it off they cut my landline in 2 places and dug out my Asian lillies that my husband planted before he died. Its ugly the way people are.
Click to expand...
Group vent. Good therapy I guess.
 
I think you showed remarkable restraint! Hope there are no further problems. I’ve experienced situations too with other people”s workmen leaving messes, blocking etc. I wonder how they get so callous.
 
Grrrrrr .. you have more patience than I would have, under the circumstances you've described. I hope your neighbour comes through in making things up to you for all the inconveniences.
 
Gary O' said:
Y'know.....that's my perspective of town.

Now, up at our cabin in the mountains.....
if a renegade or two happen thru on the logging road......and hang near yer place......just fire a couple rounds from the 12 gauge
Have yet to have anyone hang around after that

Town, I'm a bit handicapped

Had a couple run ins with parking
But, after some dialogue, they became..... shall we say....understanding

View attachment 226991
Click to expand...
Gary, I am 20 miles from the nearest anything up in the hills at the end of a dead end PRIVATE road that comes off a dead end road. They shouldn't have even BEEN here
 
A sign saying “If you block my driveway you will be towed” might work.

Our neighbors make a bit of noise too. But nearly a quarter mile away. A benefit of country living.
 
I usually pride myself on being calm and accepting about things since I quit drinking and then retired, but just about the time I get too confident about having it all together, I can have a bad day, or a few bad days strung together, and then I'm like George Costanza's father screaming, "Serenity Now!" The one thing I console myself with, however, is that I now accept that this $hit won't last forever.
 
Me when I blow my top. :)

844.jpg
 
This is ridiculous! I think you have put up with more than enough. That paint in the gutter. NO EFFING WAY!!!!!!!!!! How stupid and illegal can you get. It's infuriating.

I'm sorry to psychoanalyze your neighbor but there seems to be something missing there. She thinks this big rehab to the house is going to make her happy and it's not. She's still just going to be there. What a waste of resources and a mess.
 
Jules said:
You deserved to vent. You gave those contractors an inch and they took a mile.

(P.S. Although unlikely, I hope get to see some pictures of the finished reno)
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This is the finished reno. Our house is on the right. Most of the houses in our neighborhood are natural brick, so my neighbor's house literally is a "white elephant".

IMG_0935.jpg
 
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Remy said:
This is ridiculous! I think you have put up with more than enough. That paint in the gutter. NO EFFING WAY!!!!!!!!!! How stupid and illegal can you get. It's infuriating.

I'm sorry to psychoanalyze your neighbor but there seems to be something missing there. She thinks this big rehab to the house is going to make her happy and it's not. She's still just going to be there. What a waste of resources and a mess.
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Actually, she is in her 70's and only plans on living there for a couple more years. With real estate prices being what they are, she figures she can make a fortune if the house is fully renovated when she goes to sell. Our good friends in the neighborhood are moving to San Antonio and have had multiple offers on their house, but who knows where real estate will be in a couple of years? We have had improvements done to our house, but we will sell it as is and let someone else go through the contracting nightmare!
 
dseag2 said:
I live in a neighborhood with zero lot lines, so the houses are very close. My next-door neighbor is a wonderful, accomplished older woman that I've always gotten along with. In fact, last fall I used my leaf blower to clear out her driveway when she was not getting anywhere with a broom.

With that said, she had an absolutely beautiful house that she decided she would completely remodel inside and out. She's going from Mediterranean to Modern Farmhouse. :rolleyes: I'm talking even painting the exterior brick white and the trim black. She moved out and into an apartment over 8 months ago and told me she would be doing this. Since then I've heard constant noise, smelled paint fumes when I've walked outside and had trucks and vans parked in front of my house and hers to the point where I can't even see if there is traffic coming when I back out of my driveway. Our driveways are literally a few feet apart.

There have been several times when I've come home from doing errands only to find a truck parked in front of my driveway so I can't get in. Last Friday, a truck blocked my trash cans and if I hadn't come home and moved them my trash would not have been picked up. When the painters finished painting her house, they dumped the remains of the white paint in front of my driveway and in my gutter... not hers. I sent her a picture and she quickly had them clean it up. On a previous occasion, I had a truck blocking my driveway and I went into her house to ask that it be moved. She was there, and asked if I was okay. I told her I was fine.

Today was the last straw. I came home with groceries and a truck was blocking my driveway. There were no other trucks along the street at all, so he simply chose to park in front of my driveway. I went back into her house. She was again there. I yelled that whoever parked their truck in front of my house needed to move it, left, and slammed her door. The workman gave me "stink eye" as if it was my fault for wanting to pull into my garage.

I later sent my neighbor an email apologizing and let her know my anger wasn't directed at her but my frustration at going through 8 months of this. She sent a nice response saying she would make it up to me. I don't want this to be the end of our friendship, and I'm glad she is in the final stages of wrapping this up. It has taken much longer than she expected.

I've been very calm during my 2 years of retirement, but I reached the end of my rope today. Just venting!
Click to expand...
I would be frustrated and angry also in your case, the driveway blocking would have set me off too, that is too much! That would be illegal where I live, you're not even supposed to block your own driveway. At least your neighbor has been somewhat understanding, as she should be.
 

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